


but, tammy thompson’s a girl?

by buffysummcrs



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bi!Jane Hopper, Bi!Max Mayfield, F/F, M/M, Nancy gets a female friend, STRANGER THINGS S3 SPOILERS, Video Store Troop, Wheeler sibling bonding, bi!mike wheeler, bi!steve harrington, everyone goes to Aunt Robin for help, fluffy and gay, gay!will byers, the byers (and el) stay in hawkins, unrealistically happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 11:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19744936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buffysummcrs/pseuds/buffysummcrs
Summary: After a very eventful Independence Day, Robin didn’t expect to run into anyone from that experience again (except obviously her dingus of a co-worker Harrington). So when Nancy Wheeler enters the store asking for her, she’s more than surprised. But it seems that only starts a chain reaction of conversations between Robin and her new friends.





	but, tammy thompson’s a girl?

**ONE:** NANCY WHEELER 

It’s not that Robin hated serving ice cream or wearing that stupid sailor’s outfit (for two days straight at one point, ew) but Robin hated serving ice cream and wearing that stupid, itchy sailor’s outfit. 

So when Keith told her the only uniform required for working at the video store was a name badge, she had to actually restrain herself from jumping for joy. She was sure Steve shared the sentiment but he was determined to dramatically sulk around their new workplace instead. He and Keith had not spoken since Robin ‘persuaded’ the young manager that her friend wouldn’t be that much of a burden. 

“Finished wallowing in self pity yet, Dingus?” She sighed, watching as Steve nonchalantly restocked shelves. He threw her his middle finger in response before hearing a huff of disapproval from one of middle aged customers behind him. It caused both him and Robin to burst our laughing as the woman left the store, annoyed. 

Despite this, Robin also found the customers here much more likeable. In fact, the more she thought about it, her stupid best friend and his ragtag children were the only good thing about working at Scoops and even that led to her nearly being killed at least twice.

”Actually, I was thinking.. Wheeler?” Steve halted his thought mid sentence as the door’s bell chimed steadily and his ex girlfriend appeared in the store. She looked much more put together than when the two employees had last seen her; her hair in tighter ringlets and her makeup fresh and clean. However, she was wearing a washed out red corduroy jacket that surprised Robin with how decidedly ‘not Nancy’ it felt. 

It was like she’d settled in a place finally comfortable with her appearance instead of trying to look presentable and tame for the douchebags she worked for back at the Hawkins Post. After the Starcourt fiasco, herself and her boyfriend had been called back by the paper (which had to replace it’s editor and a few of its staff tragically) to work full time as a writer and photographer. It was Jonathan’s reinstatement and Joyce’s new decision to enrol as a Hawkins PD volunteer that stopped them selling the house. 

“Do you ever use first names Steve?” She rolled her eyes at him before smiling. Steve exchanged a look of confusion with Robin before she decided to cut in. 

“He almost exclusively calls me Kiddo now. Which is wildly annoying considering I’m six months younger than him.” He merely shrugged his shoulders playfully at that, leading the girls to be the ones to exchange eye contact this time. 

“Anyway, Robin, I was hoping we could have a conversation.” Although the girl’s persona had annoyed her throughout high school, Robin was not going to deny that Nancy Wheeler was extremely pretty and somewhat intimidating. She blurted some form of response, nodding enthusiastically. 

“Great! No, it’s not about you Steven...” She glared at the boy who was trying to look like he wasn’t listening intently but ultimately failing as he stacked Sixteen Candles on 5 different shelves. 

“Cool, Im just.. Gonna..” He made his way towards the stock room, barrelling over a box of posters as he went. The girls waved in sync before Nancy turned to face the blonde.

Robin motioned for her to sit on one of the strangely designed stools that stretched along one side of the central island. Moving a stack of DVD’s she then placed her elbows on the other side, letting her chin rest in her palms. 

“So, Robin, I don’t want to come across like really rude and I don’t want you to think I’ve been invading your privacy it’s just I saw and then I thought about some things Steve has said and then I know I could be jumping to conclusions but..” Robin’s eyes widened as Nancy began spiralling into the conversation. 

“Woah, Nance, chill. What is it?” 

Nancy lowered her voice for the next part, trying to avoid involving anyone else in what she was about to say.

”See, when I first met you, I thought you and Steve were an item, but you both gave each other a look and laughed when me and Jonathan asked like it was some kind of inside joke.” She drew a breath before continuing, “Then, last week, I saw you in that new café down on Main and you were with some girl and then it clicked. I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to know but they don’t call me Nancy Drew for nothing and I like to think I’m actually quite observant and..” She sighed, realising she has begun to ramble again, then placed her hand on Robin’s arm. 

“Yes.” She responded, moving her arms from the counter entirely and into the sleeves of her sweater. 

“Robin I don’t want you to think I’ve come here to out you or anything like that. If you don’t want me to say anything I’ll just forget about it it’s just I could really use your help.” The brunette had eyes that constantly looked like a innocent doe and Robin knew Nancy could never have any bad intentions. 

“It’s okay.” Robin has a knack of being nervously confident. It was a very hard skill to manage. “I don’t mind. I’m out, I guess. I’m not going to wear a pin badge that says ‘I’m a lesbian as well as a band nerd’ but my parents know and if someone asks I won’t deny it.” She shrugs. Nancy let out a breath she’d been holding. 

“It’s not exactly why I’m here but my old best friend, Barbara Holland, do you remember her?” Robin nodded slightly as if to say ‘I knew of her.’ 

“She, she was killed by that thing at the mall. Well, not THAT thing, but something like it and ever since I’ve not really had any close female friends you know and I just wanted to say that if you ever need me for anything Robin.” 

“Oh my. Did Nancy Wheeler just ask me to be her friend?” Robin giggled as Nancy rolled her eyes. They both laughed once more before Robin cleared her throat. 

“Right, now I’ve officially got someone to talk to other than Dingus back there, what is it that’s bothering you?” 

“I was wondering if you could talk to my brother.” Robin raised her eyebrows, scoffing at the other girl. 

“You mean the fourteen year old angst machine with a bowl cut? Why on earth?” 

“We didn’t used to get on. But ever since all the crazy shit came to town, I’ve tried to keep a closer eye on him. He doesn’t know, I don’t think, he’s too engrossed in himself. But I see the way he looks at Eleven, El, and the more I think about it..” Robin nodded for her to continue. 

“It’s the same way he’s always looked at Will Byers. I’ve seen those two together, since kindergarten. I think..” 

“You think your brother’s bisexual?” 

Robin placed her hand back on Nancy’s which was tapping increasingly nervously against the counter. 

“I don’t know a lot about it, really. I just think maybe if he knew what it was he could be more comfortable and if he wanted to use it..” 

“How about we talk to him together?” 

**TWO:** ELEVEN 

It was a quiet day at the store and Robin was watching the slow shift of the clock hands above the door when the two girls arrived. Steve wasn’t working today, although he’d dropped by earlier with a bag of Pick N Mix and a Coca Cola he referred to as “lunch” for her. It was no wonder his previous employment was ice cream related with the sweet tooth that he had on him, but Robin didn’t complain. He had, after all, come to visit her and his constant conversation and updates certainly spared her from boredom briefly. 

“I mean we’re actually really lucky. There’s USI but also there’s like 3 colleges in Indianapolis...” Steve muttered as he glanced at a map he’d stolen from his father and marked in an obvious red marker. 

Robin honestly admired how the previous prom king now had aspirations for college. They’d both decided to take a gap year; Scoops then the video store payed well enough and neither were entirely sure what they wanted to do. Then, in Robin’s defence, they did have to save the world which sort of halted any plans she had to think about future employment. 

Now they were in the clear, Steve had two decisions to make: where to study? and how on earth did he move out of his parents house? When he was not checking nearby colleges, he was apartment hunting. Robin had agreed if he found a place she would not object to being his roommate (although that would mean seeing his stupid face A LOT) and as they became closer, she wondered about asking if Nancy and Jonathan also wanted to leave the nest. 

But, Steve had left shortly after her break had finished, taking his map with him and leaving Robin with only the customers and the ticking clock for company. 

She had heard the girls before she saw them, Maxine Mayfield’s skateboard announcing their arrival as it skirted the curb outside. 

The chime of the bell was drowned out by the girls giggling as they entered the store and Max dragged her best friend to the “High School” movies stopping to smile and say “Hey” to Robin. Unlike Steve, Robin tried to avoid having favourites amongst the kids but since July, she’d seen a lot of the feisty redhead in and around Family Video, trying to avoid spending time in her own home.

Whilst Max engrossed herself in choosing a movie, Eleven wondered through the aisles, skirting her fingertips across the boxes. She was wearing a navy sweater with rainbow detail that Robin was sure she had seen on Max before. It was her way of trying to find her style without breaking the Byers’ bank account in the process. She edged towards the counter where the nineteen year old was doodling in a small notebook that Steve had left behind. 

“I heard you talked to Mike.” She always spoke slowly and delicately as she found her words along the way, Robin noted.

The older girl furrowed her brow, unsure where this was going. Although he whined about how awkward he’d found his older sister bringing Robin to talk about sexualities, Mike has come to accept that he very probably was bisexual. 

“I think.” She stuttered. “I’m like him.” 

“Oh.” Robin’s eyes widened as she realised she ironically had exactly the same reaction as Steve had when she came out. 

“I love Mike.” She continued. “He makes me happy. But, so does she.” It was then El turned to look where Max had drifted into the section for Horror, staring intently at the Day of the Dead display.

“Pretty.” El whispered. 

“Can I, like boys and girls?” Her eyes fixed on Robin, looking hopeful. Robin’s smile extended. 

“What I told Mike, there’s a word for it. Bisexual.”

Eleven watched then repeated it herself as Max made her way over to the cash register, a copy of Day of the Dead in her palm. 

“Bisexual.” She said again, turning to look at her redhead friend. Max returned a look of confusion before Eleven clarified. “I’m bisexual.” 

“Are you serious El?” Max grinned, throwing her arms around the brunette as she nodded. 

“You’re super cool, Robin, you know?” She handed the girls their dvd and a receipt, blushing at Max’s compliment. They waved as they exited the store, Max jumping on her board and helping El on with her. 

**THREE:** STEVE HARRINGTON 

Robin arrived for work and walked straight past the front desk to the store room, knowing that’s where she would find Steve in the Saturday rush. 

The radio was on, it could be heard through the door, and Inbetween Days by The Cure was blasting through the speakers. As she edged the door open, she saw her best friend, using the price scanner as a microphone and imitating Robert Smith. 

“Morning Harrington.” She coughed, startling the boy into dropping the scanner to the ground. 

“You have good taste.” She continues. “Close to me is better though.” Steve only placed his head in his hands as she leaned against the wall, one hand on her hip. 

“I fucking hate you, kiddo.” He sighed before she retorted.

”Is it me you hate? Or is it yourself?” He faked a wince at that before smiling and handing her the second scanner behind him.

”Make yourself useful woman, god.” 

It was around an hour later of endlessly scanning videos and mouthing along to various indie bands when Steve piped up: 

“I met with Dustin yesterday.” 

“You did?” Robin exclaimed, swinging her legs around to face her friend. “I never see him in here, what’s up with him?” Steve shrugged. 

“Oh you’ll love this. He said he refuses to watch movies on a medium other than the big screen.” Robin snorted out a laugh as Steve continued. “Shame it took 2 months to rebuild the cinema. He missed Teen Wolf.” 

“How is he, anyway? I’m pretty sure I helped two of his friends come out last week.” She smirked. 

“Four.” Steve murmured.

”What was that doofus?” 

“Four!” He raised his voice, dramatically. “Turns out after El and Mike, Will felt confident enough to tell Joyce he’s gay. She said it was like watching him drop a really heavy weight, that he’s much more relaxed now.”

Robin smiled brightly at her impact. 

“And, in her own words, Maxine..”

”Max.” Robin interrupted, out of habit.

”Max..” He restarted, “said she figured her sexuality’s ‘been pretty fluid for a while now.’” He laughed again. “Aunt Robin did them a lot of good.” 

“Hey, Harrington, I’m over the moon right now. But Aunt Robin makes me feel very old.”

He chucked again slightly but there was a hint of nerves in his tone. 

“When did you know, Robin?” His head was staring at his scuffed Vans which tapped the nearest box repeatedly. 

“I think I knew for a while.” She admitted. “It wasn’t till Tammy that I completely accepted it though. So, Junior year I guess.” 

Steve looked surprised. 

“You were 16?”

”Yep.” Robin popped the ‘p’. “It’s a lot harder when you’re not as young as those guys.” She referenced the Party. 

“Robin, is there a chance..?” He hadn’t used her actual name this much ever, indicating to her that it was something incredibly important to him. 

“You can tell me whatever, Steve.” She placed her hand on his as he fidgeted. 

“When Nancy left me, I was so angry. She was the first girl I loved. But, it made me even more mad that it was stupid Jonathan Byers. We had a fight, you know.”

”Oh Steve, the whole year knew about that.” 

“I think, maybe, the reason it hit me so hard is because a small part of me always kinda had a crush on Jonathan too.” He was almost whispering at this point. 

“But, Steve.” She turned his chin to face her, looking him in the eye. “Jonathan Byers is a boy.” She smirked, as Steve’s reddening eyes brightened and he playfully pushed her into the nearest box. 

“Hey.” She held his hand in her own. “I’m proud of you.” 

The door to the store room crashed open and Keith pulled a face at the pair. 

“Something is definitely going on between you two.” He drawled, closing the door again as Steve and Robin descended into laughs. 


End file.
